Priyanka Chopra remembers being told she was cast ‘by mistake’, co-star removed her from film after signing contract

Actor Priyanka Chopra recently opened up about a difficult phase from her early Bollywood years, recalling how she was removed from a film after already signing the contract. Speaking during a session at Harvard Business School, the actor shared how a male co-star informed her that she had been cast “by mistake” and that the role was always meant for someone else. The incident, she said, left her shaken at just 22.

Priyanka remembered that the actor, who was supposed to work with her in an upcoming film, came to meet her on the set of Salaam-E-Ishq. At the time, she assumed it was a friendly visit before they began shooting their project the following month. Instead, the conversation took a different turn.

Recalling his words, she said, “He goes, ‘The director gave you this movie by mistake. It was his mistake. This was always supposed to go to this other girl but we will do another one together, don’t worry about it. I just wanted to tell you myself.’ And he ate some food and left.”


The actor said the moment crushed her. “My heart just crushed and I was like, ‘I signed a contract. Like, what do you mean?’ But that’s how it was,” she shared, adding that such incidents were not isolated. Films were often taken away despite formal agreements, and there was little she could do about it.

Early career struggles and silent politics

Priyanka, who made her debut with Andaaz, entered the industry at a time when many newcomers from film families were being launched. Reflecting on that period, she admitted she did not even understand the term nepotism back then.

“I didn’t know what nepotism meant at the time. I just knew that every parent wants to make sure that they give their children the best future that they can, which is normal. My parents did the best that they could to make sure that I have a choice in my future so I didn’t understand what that meant or the limitations that came with it,” she said.

She also described how roles initially offered as lead parts were later changed. “I was cast as a lead and suddenly, I was cast as a second lead because somebody else… You know, the politics of it just struck me and I realised that no one is making a movie for me,” she explained. That realisation made her rethink her path for a brief period. She even considered going back to college.

Instead of walking away, Priyanka decided to concentrate on improving her work. “I started looking for a variety of roles,” she said, noting that positive reviews slowly gave her confidence. Focusing on performance rather than industry dynamics eventually helped her secure better opportunities. “That took me through my career and got me more work,” she added.

Emotional Harvard moment

At Harvard, Priyanka also became emotional seeing Indian students dressed in sarees and kurtas during India Week. Speaking about her teenage years in the US, she said, “When my 12-year-old self landed in a high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and subsequently to Newton North High School in Massachusetts in the mid 90s, there were not many who looked like me around.”

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Looking at the audience, she told them, “You are the India I imagined.” She further said, “It made me want to cry, because this is not what my teenage experience looked like. But I'm so happy that you get to have it.”

On the work front, Priyanka has been away from Hindi cinema since The Sky Is Pink. She is expected to return with filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli’s upcoming project, reportedly titled Varanasi.

Apart from her acting career, Priyanka Chopra has also made significant strides as a producer and philanthropist. She co-founded the production company Purple Pebble Pictures, which focuses on supporting regional cinema and nurturing new talent. In addition, she actively supports causes related to education, health, and women’s empowerment through her foundation, The Priyanka Chopra Foundation for Health and Education.